The invention relates to a coffeepot of an aesthetic appearance having structures associated therewith that provide an audible indication of the progress that coffee is making while reducing the quantity of coffee grounds required in the brewing phase. One proposal for providing a coffeepot that enhanced coffee flavor while minimizing the quantity of coffee required in brewing and having an audible indicator of when the water in the pot started to boil is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,832. The coffeepot shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,832, while having great practical utility, possesses a slight drawback in that it lacks an entirely aesthetic appearance because the whistle is a visible external element.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a coffeepot having an aesthetic appearance which includes a whistle to produce an audible signal that indicates when the water in the coffeepot has started to boil. The whistle remains entirely out of sight and thus does not mar the exterior appearance of the coffeepot.
The whistle and a pouring hole are located on a skirt depending from the coffeepot lid wherein the skirt depending from the lid has a smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the coffeepot. The lid and the depending skirt sit in the opening at the coffeepot top so that the lid and associated depending skirt may be selectively rotated from a position wherein the whistle and pouring hole are in operative communication with the pouring spout to a position wherein neither the whistle nor the pouring hole communicates with the pouring spout. Rotating the lid and depending skirt to the latter position reduces heat losses thereby keeping the coffee within the pot warm. Locating the whistle on the skirt depending from the lid preserves the overall aesthetic external appearance of the coffeepot of the present invention.
Also according to the present invention, internal structural features are provided that enhance the coffee flavor while greatly reducing the amount of coffee grounds required in the brewing cycle. In particular, a centrally located rod or tube extends from the open end of the coffeepot to and connects with a filter basket having removable metal filter elements on top and bottom. Either depending from the lower filter element or extending upwardly from the coffeepot bottom are a plurality of supporting members. These support members space the filter basket containing coffee grounds away from the coffeepot bottom so that coffee grounds contained within the filter basket remain immersed in the water during the brewing cycle. Totally immersing the coffee grounds allows the boiling water to flow through the filter basket containing the coffee grounds thereby leading to coffee ground savings of approximately to 20-60% or more as compared to coffeepots lacking this internal structural arrangement.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved coffeepot having an aesthetic appearance. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.